Bending the Rules
by Chaotic-Theoretician
Summary: With a complicated case on the rise, Callen enlists the help of the only person who has ever affected his life profoundly - 16-year-old Jenny. As the case unfolds and Jenny becomes more involved, everyone finds themselves way over their heads. Callen/OC
1. Happy Reunion

**A/N:** Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I've been watching _NCIS: LA_ a lot recently to catch up on Season 2, and this idea popped into my head. I have so many stories to update, though! *facepalm* Hopefully, I will be updating those shortly.

Also, please be warned. There are some themes in here that may not bode well with some of you. Read at your own risk!

* * *

"Why are we here?"

Kensi rolled her eyes at Deeks, a sigh of exasperation passing through her lips. Her blonde-haired partner strode close to her side, almost too close, as they trailed a few yards behind Callen and Sam. Their shoes made the slightest of crunching sounds as they walked across the blacktop that made up the floor of the old basketball courts.

"There's someone we need to see," Kensi replied, drifting away from her partner in an attempt to keep some space between them.

"Who is it?" Deeks pointed at Callen and Sam. "I mean, it's got to be somebody important, right? They're just about ready to jump out of their pants."

"Look," Kensi snapped, her voice surprisingly quiet, "I really don't know much. I've never met this girl."

Deeks's eyebrows rose. "Oh? So it's a woman! Of course. Why else would Callen and Sam be arguing?"

"Because they're like a married couple," Kensi muttered, more to herself than in response to Deeks. "Anyway, yeah, she's got to be important if we're paying her a visit."

Deeks frowned, his eyes roaming the unkempt school grounds. "So…what _do_ you know about her, then?"

"Not much." Kensi glanced over her shoulder, a string of cuss words floating to her ears. "Callen mentions her from time to time."

"Does Sam know her?"

"Yeah. It seems that way, at least." Kensi shrugged. "Come to think of it, yeah. Whenever Callen mentions her, the both of them get this funny, know-it-all smile and start talking about random memories or something. It's weird."

"Huh." Deeks rapped his knuckles against the nearest pole as they passed the last of the basketball courts. "What are we doing at a school, then? Is she a teacher? A PE coach, maybe?"

"I don't know."

"I thought you knew a lot of things."

Kensi's dark eyes flashed daggers. "Don't even try it, Deeks."

"Alright, alright." Deeks's arms went up in self-defense, already expecting Kensi to smack him. "But, seriously, what else do you know about this chick?"

Kensi pursed her lips. Before she could reply, however, Callen and Sam's voices drifted over to them, booming across the ground as their argument turned heated.

"I get to say hi first," Sam said, glaring at his partner.

"No! I get to say hi to her first!" Callen met Sam's glare with one nearly twice as intense. "She likes me better!"

"You got to say hi first last time!"

"Who cares? You know she wants to see _me_."

Deeks let out a low whistle. "She must be some chick. Think she's hot?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, from what Sam says, Callen would marry this girl in an instant."

Deeks stopped in his tracks. "You're kidding!"

"Nope." Kensi continued onward without him, topping the small hill emerging from the dying grass.

"Why hasn't he, then?"

On the longest stretch of green grass, a line of teenagers hit golf balls at a small target, hoping to somehow chip the ball into the basket. The clicks and clacks of various contacts with the balls echoed across the way, a wave of white golf balls raining down near the target – and not so near for some. A man stood off to the side, instructing the few teenagers without golf clubs on the basics of the sport. The kids' backs were turned to the NCIS team as they approached.

Callen and Sam stopped arguing in an instant, almost coming to a complete standstill behind the teenagers. Sam leapt forward, eliciting a "Hey!" from Callen.

"Jenny!" Sam cried.

"Why hasn't he married her, then?" Deeks repeated, stopping a few feet away from Callen and Sam.

One of the golfers, hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, slowly turned away from the rest of group. Deeks caught the flash of dark brown eyes. Callen's breath stopped in his chest.

"Sam!" The girl dropped her golf club as Sam pulled her into an embrace. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's so good to see you, too," the black man replied, grinning as he pulled away.

Deeks turned to Kensi, his jaw dropping. She met his astonished expression with one of her own, still overwhelmed from the information Sam had told her days earlier when Callen hadn't been around.

"She's sixteen," Kensi said, finally answering Deeks's question. "That's why Callen hasn't married her."

"Holy crap," Deeks whispered, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "He would marry her?"

"And what about me?" Callen asked.

Jenny broke away from Sam and turned to face Callen. The NCIS agent, baby blues still open in the expression of awe and reverence that Jenny was so familiar with, offered the girl a crooked smile. They approached each other slowly, a broad grin stretching across the girl's face.

"You know you'll always be my favorite, G," she said.

Callen swooped her up in a big huge, squeezing her tight to him. She squealed in response and laughed, her arms circling around his neck and hanging on for support as she squeezed him with all her might. The rubber band holding her hair together flew off as Callen spun Jenny around, her hair cascading down and around her shoulders, a mass of brown silkiness. Sam folded his arms over his chest and couldn't help but smirk, a light chuckle coming from deep within his chest. Kensi and Deeks stared in surprise and confusion, startled by the display of affection on Callen's part. The man finally set the girl back down on her feet, although he didn't disengage from the hug.

"God, I missed you," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I missed you, too." Jenny kissed his cheek in return, her lips rubbing against his stubble; she finally pulled away from the hug and glanced between Callen and Sam. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for you," Sam retorted before Callen could say anything, a smug smirk stretching across his face as his partner glared at him.

"It's gotta be more than that," Jenny stated, cocking her head to see around Sam. "You brought the whole team."

She approached the two agents who had hung back, their mouths still agape with astonishment. She offered them a friendly smile, the laughter and happiness in her eyes from seeing Callen diminishing only slightly as she focused her attention on the agents she was unfamiliar with.

"I'm Jenny," she said, extending her hand to Kensi.

"Kensi Blye." Kensi shook the girl's hand, startled by the girl's firm and professional grip. "And this douche over here is Marty Deeks."

Jenny extended her hand to the blonde, her brow furrowing. She glanced over her shoulder at Callen and Sam. "He reeks like LAPD."

"Jesus!" Deeks, midway into Jenny's handshake, threw his hands up in the air. "Even a teenager can tell I'm LAPD. What is _with_ that? Is it the cologne I wear? How I dress?"

Jenny laughed, the chuckling of Sam and Callen echoing behind her. Kensi cracked a smirk and stated, "Deeks is our LAPD liaison."

Jenny winced. "Ouch. Did these guys give you a hard time?" she asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at Callen and Sam.

"Yeah," Deeks admitted, glaring at them.

"Hey," Callen said, coming up behind Jenny, "he deserved it. You know how we don't get along with the LAPD. We just figured he was another scumbag who – "

Jenny smacked Callen in the gut, cutting his sentence short. She shook her head as Callen darted out of her reach, a playful grin stretching from ear to ear.

"You shouldn't treat the poor man like that!" Jenny shook her head again and offered Deeks an apologetic smile. "You have to admit, they are right. NCIS and local police forces have never gotten along. Just ask Gibbs or Dinozzo. They've had problems with the CIA and FBI since the beginning."

Deeks's eyes widened. "You know the NCIS team back East?"

Jenny's eyes flashed. "I know a lot of people, Agent Deeks."

"It's Marty," he muttered as Jenny left him and Kensi. "I hate being called Agent Deeks."

"Seriously, though," Jenny said, approaching Callen and Sam, "why are you guys here?"

Sam frowned and glanced at Callen. "Your call, buddy."

"You just don't want to make her mad," Callen retorted, glaring at his partner. "Listen, Jenny, we need your help."

"And you thought that would make me mad?" Jenny burst into laughter. "Boy, we have _really_ been away from each other too long, haven't we?"

"I'll say."

"Anyway," Sam said, stressing the word, his eyes darting between Callen and Jenny, "we'll tell you all about it when we get back to the office."

Jenny's face split into an excited grin. "Hell yes! Take me away from this dump!"

"With pleasure." Callen grabbed Jenny's hand and tugged her away from the golfers. "I still can't believe you're playing golf."

"Hey, it's all because of that guy's fault." She pointed to the man who had been instructing the kids. He, along with everybody else, stared at them, their faces expressions of confusion. "He challenged me."

"I thought that was two years ago."

"Man," Jenny whispered, shaking her head as Callen led her away from the field, "it's been that long, hasn't it?"

"Two years, three months, and six days," Callen muttered, meeting Jenny's brown-eyed gaze with his blue-eyed one. "But, hey, we meet again. I told you I would come back for you."

Jenny's grin changed to a pleased smile. "I know."

Still rooted to the spot, Deeks turned to Kensi. "He wants to marry her?" he repeated, eyes wide.

Kensi managed to nod. "But he can't. Not yet, anyway."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would he want to marry her?"

Sam came up behind the duo, startling them out of their skins with his voice. "Because he loves her." His dark eyes met Kensi's and Deeks's with an intensity that challenged them to say something about the age difference; he shrugged. "He saved her life, and she saved his. They've been close ever since."

Deeks and Kensi shared a glance of surprise. Deeks opened his mouth, said, "But she's, like, sixteen. That's – "

Sam's glare silenced him. "She'll be seventeen in two days."

The duo waited for Sam to get a few yards ahead of them before they started walking back to the car. They lapsed into silence, both battling with their inner confusion and disbelief, along with whatever immoral implications they saw between Callen and Jenny. Finally, Deeks spoke up, his voice utterly quiet.

"What do you think they saved each other from?" he asked, casting a glance at Kensi beneath his eyebrows.

Kensi shook her head slowly. "I have no idea."


	2. Soul Mates

**A/N: **I got such a positive response from you guys that I decided to throw up another chapter right away. Thank you for all your wonderful support!

* * *

Callen and Jenny sat in the back while Sam drove, followed by Deeks and Kensi in the larger SUV. Deeks and Kensi stuck close to the smaller car, one set of eyes on the road, the other on the vague silhouettes of the car ahead. They talked in low whispers, as though fearing that Callen, Jenny, and Sam could hear them, despite the fact they had disconnected their mikes and upon getting into their SUV. The hesitancy in their voices betrayed their confusion and disbelief as they began the long trip back to headquarters. With their earpieces still on, however, Deeks and Kensi were able to hear every word exchanged between Callen, Jenny, and Sam.

"You can stay at my place while we work on this case," Callen said, still grinning.

Deeks glanced at Kensi. "Isn't that breaking protocol?"

Kensi could only shrug.

"You've got a place?" Jenny met Sam's gaze in the rearview mirror. "Tell me he's joking, Sam!"

"He's not," the agent replied, smirking softly. "Hetty bought him a place."

"Good ol' Hetty." Jenny poked Callen in the ribs, eyes twinkling. "What is it? A one-room apartment? Some little hotel room?"

"Hah! I wish." Callen shook his head. "You know how Hetty is. She doesn't settle for anything than the best for her agents."

"Now _that's_ a bunch of bullshit, and you know it."

The trio spluttered into laughter, Sam's deep laugh reverberating within the car. For once, Callen laughed from deep within his chest, the burden of stress and lack of self-awareness falling away. It was the first time Deeks and Kensi had ever heard him laugh so long and so deeply.

"No, seriously," Jenny said, her laughter calming. "What's your place like?"

Callen draped his arm around Jenny's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "It's, um…it's the house I lived in the longest. The one in '83."

"Really? The one where your name is scratched into the doorframe of your bedroom?"

"That's the one."

"And Hetty bought it for you?"

"She sure did." Callen sighed. "She said I needed a place to stay, to settle down and all that crap."

Jenny chuckled, glanced up at the rearview mirror again. "I'm assuming your complaining got to Hetty, didn't it, Sam?"

Sam met Jenny's gaze, an amused smirk on his face, a mischievous light in his eyes. "Me? Complain? Never."

"Come off it, Sam," Callen retorted, "you're the king of complaining."

"Only when you're around. Otherwise, I am wonderful."

"And why's that?"

"Why do you think, G?"

Jenny shook her head. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the two of you were married."

"With his sleeping habits?" Sam snorted. "Hell no."

"Well, maybe you never created the most peaceful environment, Sam," Jenny said, kicking the back of Sam's seat playfully. "You should hear yourself snore! My God! It's even worse than my father's!"

Silence descended in the car. Callen's arm tightened around Jenny's shoulders, a comforting gesture on his part. Jenny tried to smile, but it faltered on her face and was more of a grimace than anything else. Sam cleared his throat, guided the car over into the carpool lane on the freeway. Callen was the first to speak.

"How is your father?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Jenny shrugged. "Having fun, I guess. He's back in Ukraine again."

"How long was he home this time?"

"A month and a half."

"How long is he going to be gone?"

"Two and a half months."

Again, silence. Jenny leaned against Callen, sinking into him for some kind of solace. He held her tightly and propped his chin up on her head, his eyes meeting Sam's concerned ones in the rearview mirror. Sam shook his head, his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"He's with her again, isn't he?" he asked, his voice even lower than Callen's.

Jenny sighed. "I don't know. I'm assuming, I guess, but I don't know what the hell he does over there anymore. He's been trying to e-mail me a lot and everything, but…"

"But what?"

"At this point, I don't want to talk to him," Jenny replied, a hard edge to her voice. "His mind's going, and he's gonna snap one day. And I don't want to be around it when it happens. I've only got one more year, and then I'm free." Her brow furrowed. "And then I can stop worrying about him fucking that village girl."

"You really don't need to worry," Sam said, glancing momentarily over his shoulder. "It's not your fault. And it's not your mother's fault, either."

Jenny laughed – this time a harsh, deep-throated sound. "My mother. Christ. _She's_ gone and done it now, I swear."

Callen's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"

"She's having an affair, too!" Jenny shook her head, her hand reaching out for Callen's. She gripped it tightly, her hand fitting snugly into his. "It's kinda funny, though. She thinks I don't know anything, even though she knows – and so does my father – that I figured out my father's affair. She's not a good liar, anyway, and she really doesn't know how to change subjects without anybody noticing." She shrugged and looked up into Callen's eyes, letting him glimpse the anger and frustration that boiled behind her pupils. "I figure she thinks it's alright to have an affair since my father's having an affair. My whole family is just screwed up."

"No kidding," Sam muttered, glancing into the rearview mirror to make sure Deeks and Kensi were still following. "Then again, we all have screwed up families, one way or another."

"Touché."

"I don't think so," Kensi said, shaking her head as she gave Deeks a sidelong glance.

"Yeah, well, speak for yourself." Deeks scratched his chin, his eyes roaming the freeway to his right. "I didn't think my family was screwed up until my father told me he hated me."

"Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"He chased me with a shotgun when he said that."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "We've already established that you have daddy issues."

"_I_ have daddy issues? He was the one with the shotgun!"

"He probably had a good reason."

"You're my partner," Deeks muttered, throwing his hands up in the air, "and you side with my father! What is your problem?"

"You."

Callen tapped Sam on the shoulder. "Can you hand me the bag in the front seat?"

Plastic crinkled as Sam grabbed the bag off the seat and handed it to Callen. Callen smiled and shifted his arms around Jenny to open up the bag. A Tupperware emerged from the plastic, along with a few plastic forks.

"I brought your favorite," he said, popping off the lid of the Tupperware.

"You remembered!"

"How could I forget?"

Jenny balanced the Tupperware on her lap and inhaled deeply, the smell wafting up and making her senses tingle. "Did you buy this or make it?"

"I made it."

Sam shook his head. "I wouldn't eat it if I were you, Jenny," he warned. "G can't cook to save his life."

"You'd be surprised," Jenny said, stabbing the fork into the Tupperware. "His lasagna is fantastic."

"Lasagna?" Sam's brow furrowed. "Since when do you cook lasagna, G?"

"Since forever," Callen replied, chuckling lightly. "It's the only thing I _can_ cook."

"And cook pretty damn well," Jenny managed to say around the forkful of lasagna in her mouth. She savored the delicious flavors of homemade tomato sauce, multiple types of cheese, and the pasta itself. "One thing's for sure: I've missed your lasagna."

"Not as much as me, though, right?"

"Nah, you come a close second."

"Hey!"

"Just kidding." Jenny forked another bite into her mouth, spent another few moments savoring _that_ mouthful. "So, back to your place. Have you filled it with anything?"

Sam laughed from the driver's seat. "Yeah, right. Nothing but his sleeping bag and toothbrush."

"You've got a place of your own now, G," Jenny said, peering up at Callen with her dark brown eyes. "You need to start filling it."

"I told him he needed a flat screen TV," Sam continued, "and a bookcase."

"But you need books to fill up a bookcase," Callen groaned. "Like I said, that's how it starts."

"Well, it's not like you have to buy the books," Jenny had already eaten through half the lasagna. "I sure could use a place for my overflow."

"You should've seen it," Callen said to Sam, leaning forward. "She has books piled to the ceiling."

"I always thought that the best girl was the one who could read a lot and still have fun," Sam said, flashing a grin at Jenny.

Deeks shot a look at Kensi. "Did he just…?"

"Just what?"

"Make a pass at her?"

Kensi met Deeks's eyes for only a second, her dark eyes flashing. "Is that all you can ever think about? Scoring girls?"

"What man doesn't?"

"You make me sick."

Deeks grinned. "I try."

"Do you have a bed, at least?" Jenny asked, putting the lid back on the Tupperware and setting it aside. "You aren't sleeping on the floor, are you?"

"No, I have a bed," Callen replied, a coy smile touching the corners of his lips.

"I mean, do you have a bona fide mattress and bed stand?"

"Yep."

"Wow. I'm impressed. Aren't you impressed, Sam?"

"Not until he gets a flat screen and surround-sound," Callen's partner replied, easing the car out of the carpool lane. "Then I'll be impressed."

Jenny chuckled. "Same old Sam."

"If I remember right, you like 'same old Sam,'" Sam retorted. "He was your best friend."

"Don't even play that card!" Callen pulled Jenny close to him. "_I'm_ her best friend."

"_You_ don't count." Sam shook his head. "We all know you two are beyond best friends."

"Then what are we exactly?" Jenny asked, cocking her head coyly.

"Soul mates."

"Soul mates?" Deeks rolled his eyes. "They've got Sam in on it, too! This team is even more screwed up than I originally thought."

"You don't know the definition of soul mate, do you?" Kensi guided the SUV out of the carpool lane, still close behind Sam's car. Her eyebrows knit together. "A soul mate is somebody you connect with on a deep and personal level. You, um…" She wracked her mind for the word. "You develop this deep affinity for another person…like a friendship that is unbreakable and so much more meaningful than just having a best friend."

"Wow. I didn't realize you read so many romance novels, Kensi." Deeks's eyebrows arched high on his head. "That explains a lot."

"Shut up."

"Never gonna happen."

Kensi glared at her partner with a gaze so intense Deeks had to look away, albeit with a smirk on his face.

The sun had begun to set, despite the early hour. Its golden rays cast the thin clouds in scarlet and deep orange color, painting the sky with a mass of colors between red and bright yellow. Jenny craned to look out the window to see, leaning across Callen as she did so. He smiled down at her as she peered through the glass and up at the sky, enrapt by the beauty of the sunset. The smell of her hair – a light citrus aroma – tickled his nose pleasantly. His fingers tucked a few stray strands of hair behind Jenny's ear, lingering on her skin. She turned away from the window and smiled softly, her hand giving his knee a squeeze.

"We'll stop by headquarters first," Sam spoke up quietly, sensing the gravity of the moment between Callen and Jenny, "to pick up the file, and then I'll drop you two off at G's place. You don't have to get to work until the morning."

"You sure?" Jenny asked, leaning back into her seat. "I have no problem starting ASAP."

"I'm sure," Sam said, weaving through the Los Angeles traffic to get to the off-ramp. "You and Callen deserve some time to catch up before we get to work."

Jenny leaned forward and squeezed Sam's shoulder, her eyes warm in the rearview mirror's reflection. "Thanks, Sam."

"You're welcome."

"Is it just me," Deeks murmured, "or was that just a little weird?"

"Shut up, Deeks."

"I'm serious! Wasn't it a little weird?"

"I think it's…" Kensi nodded her head, glanced at Deeks. "I think it's cute. I've never seen Callen this happy. Maybe…maybe Jenny's good for him."

Deeks stared at her in disbelief and passed a hand over his face, his gaze staring back out the window. "Wouldn't be the first time Callen broke the law," he muttered beneath his breath; he turned back to Kensi. "What do you think Hetty will say?"

Kensi shrugged. "From what I've heard, Jenny's got everybody under her thumb – even Hetty."

"Damn."

"It's only a matter of time," Kensi said, her voice playful as she glanced at Deeks, "before you're under her thumb, too."

"Me? Nuh-uh. No way. Never gonna happen."

"Well, I like her already." Kensi fixed her eyes on the road again.

"You hardly even know her!"

"Like I said, Deeks, it's only a matter of time."


	3. Prodigal Child

**A/N: **This is the chapter where things may get a bit uncomfortable for some of you. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. Just...don't penalize me, alright? Thanks!

* * *

With the cars parked and everybody out of them, the team and Jenny entered headquarters. Jenny let out a low whistle as the corridors opened up into the loft-like area. She paused by the team's desks, eyebrows arched in surprise and mild amusement. Callen and Sam stopped by her side, trying to follow the direction of her gaze as her eyes flitted from one side of the room to the other. Her head nodded slowly and minutely as she took things in, her legs taking her forward towards the desks. Fingers trailing across the desks' surfaces, she came to a stop beside Callen's and traced words and symbols into the thin layer of dust that coated the outside edge of the desk. She smirked to herself, bemused by her drawings, and finally turned her attention back on the team.

"Lots of changes since I left," she said, making a wide sweeping motion. "Since when did these get here?"

"Hetty," Callen said, sauntering over to Jenny, "decided we needed proper desks."

"She didn't like the old tables?" Jenny shook her head. "D'you know what those reminded me of? A war room. That's what it felt like, at least."

"Wait 'til you get a load of upstairs." Sam tossed his jacket onto the back of his chair and sat himself down, his legs swinging up to rest on the corner of his desk. "It's been upgraded."

Jenny plopped herself down into Callen's chair, sighing as she mimicked Sam's actions and propped her own feet up onto the edge of the desk. Callen tossed her his jacket, watched her as she caught it deftly out of the air and draped it over the back of the chair in seemingly one fluid motion. She rapped her knuckles against the wood.

"Very nice," she murmured, nodding to herself. "Makes me wish I had a desk like this."

"We'll have to get you one, won't we?" Callen circled around the desk and leaned his elbows on the back of the chair, slipping out of Jenny's sight. She tensed for a moment but was reassured by his natural, sweet-smelling scent, something she had never forgotten since she had last seen him.

"Yes, something grand," she said, opening the nearest drawer. "Something I could fit into a college dorm."

"College." Sam let out a low whistle. "Have you been accepted to any yet?"

Jenny nodded. "UCLA wants me, as do most of the Cal States." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I just got acceptance letters from Cornell and Princeton…"

"No!" Callen swiveled the chair around to face him, his hands gripping the chair's arms to support himself. "They did?"

Jenny's lips twitched into a proud, flattered smile. "Yep. I couldn't believe it, either."

"That's awesome!" He pulled her into a big congratulatory hug, swung her around, his face buried in her neck.

"Hey, let me get some of this!" Sam chuckled and pulled Jenny out from Callen's arms, rewarding her with a tight – albeit grounded – hug. "Congrats! We've got to celebrate. We can pop open some apple cider and drink to our hearts' content."

Deeks, firmly situated behind his own desk, frowned and gave Kensi a sidelong glance. "Apple cider?" he mouthed. "What kind of a congrats drink is that?"

"The kind that keeps people from making stupid mistakes," Kensi retorted, voicing her statement aloud due to Deeks's inability to lip-read.

"Hell yes to that," Jenny said, giving Kensi and Deeks a warm smile. "But," she continued, addressing Sam, "we can celebrate _after _the case, alright? I don't want us drinking the bubbly until we've got everything worked out."

Sam gave a mock pout. "Fine." Returning back to his seat, he grumbled even as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "It's not fair."

"And there she is!"

Jenny looked up. "Eric." She stood and pulled the techie into a brief hug. "It's good to see you. How've you been? I hear you've got some new toys upstairs."

Eric chuckled. "Something like that." He fiddled with the frame of his glasses. "I've been doing alright. And you?"

"Surviving," Jenny replied, managing a weak smile. "Surviving." Her eyes glanced over his shoulder. "And who's this?"

"Oh." Eric stepped back and nudged Nell forward. "This is Nell Jones. She just joined the team. She's, um, works with me as a second techie."

"That's definitely new." Jenny gave the woman a firm handshake and a friendly smile. "Pleasure to meet you," she said.

"Likewise," Nell replied, grinning.

"Love the haircut."

"Do you?" Nell touched her pixie-cut and grinned. "Thanks."

"Is that the voice of Jenny I hear?"

Eric and Nell immediately darted to the side, revealing the pint-sized Hetty. The older woman took in Jenny's features in an instant, her glasses glinting in the warm light. Jenny's lips spread into a warm, almost nostalgic, smile.

"And the prodigal child returns," Hetty continued, stepping closer.

"Callen promised I would someday." Jenny stuck out her hand for a handshake.

"Oh, give me a hug!"

The two embraced, eliciting expressions of surprise from Deeks, Kensi, and Nell, who had, for some reason, congregated off to the side unconsciously as the rest of the team stood near to Jenny and watched the exchange with joyous smiles on their faces. The three exchanged glances of confusion, each making a mental note to find out more about the mysterious Jenny and her relationship with the rest of the team. Hetty and Jenny disengaged themselves from their hug, each with a beaming smile stretching from ear to ear.

"How have you been, my dear?" Hetty asked, sizing Jenny up. "You look like you've managed a few more inches."

Jenny chuckled. "I have, but only a few."

"Don't take them for granted, my dear. Those few extra inches may be the last ones you'll get," Hetty admonished, still smiling despite her cautionary words. "How's the family?"

Jenny shrugged. "Worse off, but that was expected."

"I can only imagine." Hetty readjusted the large spectacles perched on her slim nose. "But, you're here now, and you're in good company. Here, you don't have to worry about not being loved."

Only Deeks and Kensi caught Hetty's quick glance at Callen. They frowned and exchanged a glance, having noticed that there had been no glimmer of admonishment or criticism. She seemed almost at ease with everything as Sam, but perhaps the mild tension in her shoulders – very, very mild – was that of stress from work and what she predicted was impending disaster. Nevertheless, the glance was only for an instant, and Deeks and Kensi were still left stumped by the rest of the team's actions.

Deeks grabbed Kensi's hand, tugged on it. "Must be some girl," he mouthed.

Kensi could only nod in agreement.

"Your mother has been informed of your whereabouts," Hetty said, leading Jenny over to her office. "She happens to recall Mr. Callen's and Mr. Hanna's wonderful protective skills, because she didn't so much as complain or get worried." She faltered mid-step. "Now that I think about it, she seemed to be in a hurry to ring off."

"I wonder why," Jenny muttered, sharing a dark glance with Sam and Callen. "She's been acting…odd lately."

"I don't blame her." Hetty reached over and picked up a relatively slim file off her desk. "Here is the brief dossier of what you will be tackling in the morning."

Jenny made to take the folder from Hetty's hands.

"Uh-uh-uh," Hetty tutted, keeping it out of reach. "When Mr. Hanna picks you and Mr. Callen up tomorrow morning, he'll have the folder with him. You can read on the way here. What you need, my dear, is a good night's rest. I presume you are staying with Mr. Callen."

"Yes." Jenny grinned, feeling Callen's familiar presence by her side. "He told me you bought him a place to live!"

"I thought it was time for him to settle down and finally get that good night's rest," Hetty replied, smirking. "He was driving Mr. Hanna up the wall."

"Was not!" Callen cried. "It's not my fault he has the ears of a cat!"

"Well, if you didn't make such a ruckus in the middle of the night," Sam retorted, "my cat ears would've been happy!"

Jenny shook her head for the umpteenth time that afternoon and laughed. "You two, I swear," she said, elbowing the both of them good-naturedly in the ribs. "I'm loving the bromance."

"Bromance?" the partners asked in unison, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I can see it," Deeks murmured in Kensi's ear, nodding his head enthusiastically. "They've definitely got some man-thing going on between them."

"Aw, is poor Deeks jealous?" Kensi laughed. "Does he feel left out?"

Deeks punched her in the shoulder and immediately darted to the side, just barely missing Kensi's wicked jab. She glared at him as he took refuge behind his desk, putting a considerable amount of distance between himself and his partner. The duo glanced up to see Jenny looking at them with an amused expression on her face, one eyebrow arched high on her forehead. She smirked and glanced away, muttering something to herself – too quick for Kensi to read.

"In any case," Hetty interrupted before Jenny could explain what a bromance was, "I want you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"Loud and clear," Jenny replied, saluting Hetty. "Just so long as Sam remembers to pick me up _after_ eight o'clock."

"I'll remember," Sam said, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't want what happened last time to happen again."

"And neither do I."

Callen's lips stretched into a grin. "I thought it was hilarious. Too bad I didn't have a video camera to record the whole thing. We would've won money on _America's Home Funniest Videos_ with that bit."

"Now," Hetty interrupted again, stepping between the two partners, "Mr. Hanna, will you please take Mr. Callen and Miss Jenny home?"

"Yes ma'am." Sam glared at Callen. "_You_ should've been on the other end of that ordeal, not me."

"Hey, I knew better than to wake her up before eight."

"You're my partner. You're supposed to warn me!"

Callen laughed. "I just wanted to see what would happen, that's all."

"Oh, and before you go," Hetty said, halting the trio with her voice alone, "you might need this, my dear."

Jenny turned and stared at the gun in Hetty's hands. The silver steel gleamed in the light, dulled only by the warmth of the light bulbs in the room. She took it from the older woman's hands and turned it around slowly, her eyes falling down to the initials etched just above the grip.

"My old Colt .45," she said, checking to see that the magazine was full. "You kept it."

"I had an inkling you'd be coming back," Hetty responded. Her eyes twinkled. "Now go and be safe, alright? 'Til the morning, my dear!"

"'Til morning," Jenny replied, tucking the gun into the small of her back. "G, do you still have my shoulder holster?"

"Yep."

"Sweet." Jenny burst into laughter at the dumbfounded looks on Deeks's and Kensi's faces. "Don't worry," she told them as she passed by, "I know how to use it. I won't shoot you guys – or myself – in the foot or anything, I promise."

With keys in hand, Sam led Callen and Jenny to the car, leaving two speechless agents still standing by their desks, unable to form any kind of coherent thought to explain what had just occurred. They slumped into their chairs and stared down at their desks, stumped and bewildered. Hetty walked by them briskly, her eyebrows arched in an unvoiced challenge bordering amusement.

"Goodnight, Mr. Deeks. Miss Blye."

"Goodnight, Hetty," the partners responded; their voices wavered.

After hugging Jenny good-bye and promising to arrive _after_ eight o'clock, Sam dropped Callen and Jenny off at Callen's place and reluctantly left, wanting to spend more time with the teenager. While he drove back to headquarters, Jenny peeled off her jacket and meandered through the house, admiring the place's décor – or lack of. Callen watched her with a smile on his face and a glimmer of pleasure in his eyes as Jenny went through room after room, at last coming across his old bedroom. She let her fingers trail over the engraving in the door for a moment, keenly aware of Callen's presence as he came up behind her. His hands came to rest on her shoulders as she tossed her jacket onto the duffel bag in the corner.

"Very nice," she said, turning around to face him. "And I see you've got a couch out there, too."

"Well, I figured I needed it," he said, leading her away from the bedroom. "Sitting on the bed makes me sleepy."

"Like it's supposed to." Jenny paused in the middle of what was supposed to be in the living room. "I hope you're actually sleeping on the mattress, G."

"I am," he assured her, falling down onto the couch.

Jenny glanced around and gave a quiet chuckle. "I can see why Sam wants you to buy a flat screen. This thing's a dinosaur," she said, rapping her knuckles against the plastic cover of the huge TV screen. "I haven't seen one of these in years."

"It was here when I showed up," Callen said, smirking. "But I guess you and Sam are right. A flat screen would be nice."

"If you're into that sort of thing."

Jenny sat herself down next to Callen, falling into his arms as though she had been doing it for years. She snuggled up close to him, immediately comforted by his embrace. For a while they just sat there, seeking solace from such chaste intimacy. Callen's head rested atop hers, her head easily tucked beneath his chin and in his neck. The sounds of the day faded around them and the sounds of the nightlife began, darkness descending through the half-open blinds over Callen's windows. And, still, they sat there, unmoving, silent as ever. Their hands lay intertwined, fitting comfortably within each other.

"I've missed you so much," Callen finally said, the words so foreign in his mouth.

Jenny shifted her head onto his shoulder and peered up at him. "Really?"

"Positive. I've hardly stopped thinking about you since the day I left."

"You're starting to sound mushy."

"I know." Callen feigned a grimace. "I think Sam's finally rubbing off on me."

"That could be a good thing. He certainly has some admirable traits."

"And I don't?"

"I didn't say that."

They lapsed into silence again, each staring up into each other's eyes. Callen shifted his arms around her, seeking a more comfortable position. His lips brushed the edge of Jenny's chin, sent a shiver darting down both their spines. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward, his lips hovering over Jenny's. They brushed hers lightly, delicately; she didn't pull away. With his heart pounding in his chest, Callen pressed his lips to hers, her mouth parting to accept him. The sensations nearly drove them to faint, so strong was their emotion. Callen kissed her firmly, but it was still gentle, delicate. He savored her lip, and she his, each on the verge of melting in pleasant nothingness. Callen's tongue inched its way into Jenny's mouth, meeting hers tentatively. For a moment, they sat locked in that position, tongues intertwined, eyes closed, bodies close. And when they pulled away, it was only a few centimeters, their lips still touching – barely, but touching nevertheless.

It was their second kiss, the first having been on the last day they had seen each other. The first had happened in secret behind Jenny's house, away from her parents' prying eyes. It had been quick, but passionate. It was a kiss neither would ever forget.

"If I asked you to marry me," Callen finally said, his voice husky, "would you say yes?"

Jenny let her fingers trace his jaw line, sending another pleasant shiver down Callen's spine. "When it's possible, yes, I would."

Back at the headquarters, Deeks and Kensi dared to ask Sam what had been bothering them since first meeting Jenny. Kensi spoke up first.

"You said Callen and Jenny saved each other," she began, her voice quiet, hesitant. "From what, exactly?"

Sam glanced up from the paperwork on his desk, glancing between Deeks and Kensi from beneath his eyebrows. After a second of thought, he leaned back in his chair and regarded the two with an unreadable gaze.

"Jenny had been working on a case with us," he replied, lacing his fingers together across his stomach, "when it happened. She was attacked on her way back to her safe house. When G found her, she was in the process of being raped. G knocked the guy out cold, cuffed him, and immediately went to Jenny's side. She was scared – she was only fourteen – but she let G take her back to his hotel room and fix her up. Nate worked on her for a little while, but it was really G who helped her get through it all. They grew real close."

"Rape?" Deeks's stomach gave a flip. "Christ."

Kensi shuddered at the thought. "And Callen?"

Sam glanced down at his hands. "Whereas G saved Jenny in the short-run, she saved him in the long-run."

"What do you mean?"

Sam's eyes were dark. "She saved G from himself."


	4. Breakfast

**A/N:** Yay for another update! I hope you guys all enjoy it as much as I have while writing it.

* * *

When Sam showed up at Callen's home, nobody came to the door. He let himself in with the spare key that Hetty had given him before she had even presented the house to Callen. The wood creaked beneath his feet, his footsteps echoing quietly off the walls as he wandered through the living room, looking for some sign of life. The kitchen was empty, the dishes in the sink already a day old. The near-empty refrigerator attested to the lack of dishes – well, I attested as to _why_ there weren't more dishes – but did little to reveal why there hadn't been any new dishes. Callen's car was still parked, untouched.

Sam found Callen and Jenny spooning on Callen's bare mattress, fully clothed and looking as peaceful as ever. Sam paused at the door, looking down at their serene faces, focusing more on Callen's than Jenny's. He had seen very little peace in Callen's face, and whenever he did, it had only been in fleeting moments. He took the time to study the agent in his most vulnerable, tranquil state.

"When were you planning on waking us up, Sam?"

Jenny's voice was so quiet – and pleasant – that Sam almost didn't respond because he wasn't sure whether or not words had been spoken at all. He unfolded his arms from across his chest and stepped closer to the bed, head cocked to look down at the dozing teenager. Jenny cracked open an eyelid, one eyebrow arched as the eyeball rolled up to stare at Sam. The bleariness Sam expected wasn't there, only the sharp intelligence that scared most people when they looked in Jenny's gaze.

"I wasn't sure. It's only five minutes past eight," Sam replied, tapping his wristwatch. His voice dropped another notch as Callen shifted against Jenny, his arm repositioning around her. "How long have you been awake?"

Jenny blinked, passed a hand over her face. "Since you opened the door to get into the house."

Sam frowned. "You still don't sleep very well, do you?"

Jenny pursed her lips, a sudden weariness drawn into her face. "Most the time I do, but I'm still super paranoid." She glanced away from the man, her eyes distant. "It's no fun waking up at the slightest sound, Sam, or constantly panicking when somebody stands behind me. Just walking a block to the movie store makes me sick if I'm alone."

"I know," Sam whispered. His gaze drifted to Callen. "I've never seen him sleep this deep."

"He's never been this relaxed, either," Jenny said, smirking. "It's nice to know I still do him some good."

Sam chuckled, his eyes soft. "You have no idea."

Jenny reluctantly shimmied out from beneath Callen's arm and shook the sleep from her shoulders, weaving unsteadily into the kitchen. Sam helped her find some cereal and milk, all the while trying to keep the noise down to a minimum. Callen wasn't a heavy sleeper – it was a miracle he hadn't woken while Sam and Jenny had talked in the bedroom. The teenager and agent sat down at the kitchen table, one spooning Cheerios into her mouth, the other keeping up the "interrogation" side of a quiet conversation.

"Been doing well in school?"

Jenny nodded. "I thought we went over this already."

"I can't remember."

"Hmm, that's not good." The teen swallowed thickly, washing down the cereal with some milk from the bowl. "You never forget things, Sam."

Sam paused, chin resting on his knuckles. He glanced around over his shoulder, a habit that became more pronounced when he was nervous or avoiding something. Jenny set her spoon down, the metal clinking against the ceramic bowl. Her hand reached out and tugged on Sam's long sleeve, drawing his attention away from the window.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said, forceful but quiet all the same.

Sam's lips pressed into a thin line just for a moment, breaking the eye contact because he couldn't bear to look into Jenny's probing – knowing – gaze. He nodded, his voice dropping yet another notch – not for Callen's sake, but for his own.

"Moe was murdered."

Jenny's hand tightened around Sam's elbow, her eyes flickering with sadness – not necessarily for Mo, whom she had only known through passing conversations, but for the agent, whose soul, albeit not as tortured as Callen's, was nevertheless twisting in grief. Even without asking, Jenny knew the circumstances. The grief – and the anger – in Sam's face said it all. He was angry with himself for letting the kid get hurt, and he hated the bastard who did it. But the anger quickly disappeared, replaced by an expression Jenny could hardly identify properly.

"He was killed by a man named Abdul Habassa," Sam continued, staring down at the wood grain of the table. "Abdul was the head of a terrorist group in Yemen. While he was in prison here in the U.S., he beat Moe into submission to join him. I was sent in as Hakeem Fayeed to find out if Abdul was getting ready to break out and meet his brother, Saadat, who we thought was the head of the terrorist group."

Jenny stared at Sam's averted eyes, trying to read him. "He escaped, didn't he?"

"Yeah." Sam's eyes locked with hers. "And I helped him."

The teenager bit her lip, her mind racing. "For the bigger picture, right? Hetty wanted him to lead us to his brother."

Sam nodded, the lines in his face deepening. "He contacted my alias a while after and sent me a passport and plane tickets to Yemen to join him. He had kidnapped the seven-year-old boy of a Saudi prince, and he was planning to kill him if the Saudis didn't make changes. It turns out my alias had been compromised; Abdul planned to use me to show how powerful his terrorist group was."

"But I was there," Callen said, meandering over to the table, voice low, "to save him." His hand came to rest on Sam's shoulder. "We saved the boy and returned him home."

Jenny gripped Sam's hand to draw his attention to her eyes. "And Abdul?"

Sam paused, his face struggling to remain expressionless, his eyes failing him in that regard. "He's dead."

Jenny nodded her head slowly and picked up her spoon, pushing around the Cheerios in her bowl absentmindedly. The tension in the air was not awkwardness or anger – it was sadness. Callen pulled up a chair between the two, his eyes still grainy from sleep. Marshalling her Cheerios into groups of five and six, Jenny broke the silence.

"Sometimes revenge and justice can be the same thing," she said, head cocking slightly as she continued the whirlpool in her cereal bowl with her spoon. "If Moe had just been another person, you would've delivered justice to Abdul for the murder. Revenge in this case wasn't uncalled for. You wanted to avenge Moe's death, and you did. By killing Abdul, whether it was for revenge or justice, you've possibly saved thousands of lives. Killing Abdul was justified revenge because the number of people _he_ killed is probably more than we can count on our hands. By seeking revenge, you brought justice. By delivering justice, you achieved revenge."

Silence descended, thicker than the calluses on Jenny's hands from golfing. Sam and Callen shared a glance. They had forgotten the frightening accuracy of Jenny's intuitiveness, as well as her strong words and deep insight that set her far beyond her peers in maturity and thought. The years had been hard on the teen, not as hard as kids living on the streets in gangs, but nevertheless hard for her. The weariness in her face, relieved only once in a while by her occasional _true_ laughter, betrayed as much. As she spooned another mouthful of cereal from the bowl, Hetty's words from a few years back rang in the agents' ears.

"_She is a thirty-year-old trapped in a teenage body, where her wants and desires and dreams are unattainable due to her age and situation. Take away the rigid social structure, and Jenny would be flourishing as an adult, achieving more than you and Mr. Hanna combined. It's hard being an old soul, especially when you are revered and, yet, neglected because no one knows what to do with you."_

Jenny glanced up at Callen. "You should eat breakfast, G."

Snapping the agent from his reverie, Callen met the teen's strong gaze, his chest aching as he saw the sadness in her pupils. "I guess I should." He got up from his chair and began rummaging through the refrigerator. "Do you think these eggs are still good?"

"Check the date," Sam said, rolling his eyes, the tension slowly leaving his shoulders. Jenny smirked, the psychological pain in her frame alleviated for just a moment.

"I don't have a frying pan," Callen muttered, putting the eggs back into the fridge. "Do you want anything, Sam?"

"Nope." Sam leaned back into his chair. "I don't trust your cooking."

"Your cooking isn't the best, either."

"What?" Sam's eyebrows furrowed. "My cooking is fantastic."

"Not even close."

Jenny shook her head. "Do you have the dossier?"

"It's in the car," Sam replied, returning his attention back to the teen.

"I get car-sick when I read in the car, just to let you know."

Sam stiffened, eyebrows furrowing as he turned to Callen for confirmation. Callen, having pulled out another bowl to have cereal too, nodded his head. "She hasn't puked yet," he said, "but she gets a mild headache and nausea that gets worse if she keeps reading." Sitting down at the table and pouring some cereal into his bowl, Callen continued, "I wouldn't test your luck."

"Great," Sam grumbled, pushing himself away from the table. "I'll go get it."

The teen and the remaining agent watched the former SEAL leave the room, muttering to himself like he sometimes did when he was frustrated or appalled by something. Callen reached over and gave Jenny's hand a soft squeeze.

"How're you doing?" he asked, his voice low.

"I'm surviving," Jenny replied, smiling weakly. "I'm trying not to get depressed."

"Aw, come on, you get to be with me." Callen smiled, then frowned. "Don't tell me I'm making you depressed."

"No, no, it's not you, don't worry." Jenny smirked. "It could never be you. Just don't get shot or anything, alright?"

Callen gave her a half-grin. "Alright."

"Now eat your breakfast before I do."

"Yes ma'am."

"You're letting a girl give you orders?" Sam let out a low whistle and shook his head, his lips curved into an amused smirk. "Must be some girl."

Jenny's eyes flashed mischievously. "And don't you forget it."

Sam dropped the dossier onto the table beside Jenny and dropped down into his chair. "I haven't read it yet."

"I'm assuming you already know what it's about, though," the teen said, flipping open the folder.

"Nope."

Jenny looked up from the document, glanced between the two agents; Callen nodded his head. "Hetty hasn't told us anything," he said, eating the last remaining spoonful of his cereal. "We know just about as much as you do."

"Fantastic," Jenny muttered, letting her gaze fall back to the dossier. "Why do I have the feeling this is going to end up being a undercover assignment?"

"Because that's what you're good at," Sam said, leaning forward to read the first page upside down.

"It's going to be deep undercover," Jenny continued, meeting Callen's eyes. "Way deep."

Sam topped the dossier and stared at Callen and Jenny. "And it looks like you're perfect for the job."


End file.
